Machine for operating on shoes



April 1956 J. s. KAMBORIAN MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1954 MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOES Filed Sept. 29, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 1956 J. s. KAMBORIAN 2,740,141

MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOES Filed Sept. 29, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a J Zia 002550;

(705606 61% a! arz'aaz .6 M "M J 270% flag MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOES Filed Sept. 29, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ZFzetemd'ar Jaao (2 Mia/ ava United States atent 2,740,141 MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOES Jacob S. Kamborian, West Newton, Mass. Application September 29, 1954, Serial No. 459,080 32 Claims. (Cl. 1213.3)

This invention relates to a machine for operating on shoes and has for its principal objects to provide a machine in which a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls simultaneously apply feeding and drafting stresses to the lasting margin of a shoe with means for removing the excess material from the margin as it is stressed so that when the lasting margin is folded against the bottom it will lie substantially flat without pounding or skiving operations and which will be sufiiciently flaccid or limp so that fewer attaching elements and/or less adhesive is required to anchor the margin in place.

A further object is to provide a continuous type lasting machine in which the excess material is removed from the margin during the application of the drafting stress without loss of the drafting stress. Another object is to provide a machine in which the excess material is removed principally at the toe and heel but may optionally be removed along the sides. Another object is to remove the excess material in the lasting margin prior to folding it into contact with the bottom. Another object is to provide a machine of the foregoing kind which will remove the excess material by making a series of spaced elongate openings or cut-outs in the lasting margin, which out-outs are widest at the edge of the margin so that when the margin is folded the intermediate material of the margin will lie substantially flat with the adjacent edges of the cuts in substantial abutment thereby providing a substantially flat continuous surface. Another object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the waste produced by cutting the notches in the lasting margin may be disposed of continuously. Another object of the invention is to provide such a machine with means for applying adhesive to the lasting margin prior to folding the notched edge thereof or to activate an adhesive already carried thereby or alternatively with tack or staple mechanism for inserting fastening elements through the lasting margin after it is folded. A still further object is to provide a machine in which the feed rolls may be moved angularly about a given center to change the angle at which the updrafting stress is applied to the lasting margin. Still another object is to provide a machine with driving connections between the feed rolls and the motor drive therefor which will permit adjustment of the rolls without impairing the drive. A further object is to provide for relative movement of the rolls to permit separation thereof and means for holding the rolls in yieldable engagement. Another object is to provide a machine which while particularly adapted to operate on shoes is also useful for other purposes, to wit, it is useful for making panels wherein a flexible material is applied to one side of a rigid form and the margin of the material is stressed over the edge and secured to the opposite side and in a still broader application for making uniformly spaced openings, holes, slots, cut-outs, notches and the like in strip material in a continuous fashion.

The machine has a pair of oppositely rotating rolls of the kind which grip the lasting margin of a shoe presented thereto and simultaneously apply both feeding and updrafting stresses to the margin in a continuous fashion. In accordance with the foregoing objects of the invention there is means associated with the feed rolls to remove from the lasting margin while it is gripped and stressed pods, chips or the like so as to leave at regularly recurrent intervals holes, gaps, notches and/or the like. The aforesaid means takes the form of a cutter which is carried by one of the rolls and operates on the lasting margin as it is presented thereto by the other of the rolls at the bite between the rolls. Thus the cutter may operate in conjunction with the other roll which supports the margin, to cut, pink or die-out material therefrom. preferably however the other roll carries means for making a fold in the lasting margin at the bite between the rolls so that the cutter penetrates each fold as it is presented thereto, to sever pieces from the margin. Since the excess material is most pronounced at the toe and heel and the margin at these places is deepest the machine is designed primarily to sever pieces from the margin at the toe and heel. Optionally however notches may be made along the sides to decrease the excess material therealong or the notching may be omitted along the sides so as to leave them intact. More specifically the feed rolls have rolling contact and carry intermeshing elements which form folds in the lasting margin as it passes therebetween and the cutter which is movable independently of the rolls cuts through the folds at their place of formation. The one roll is hollow and has in its peripheral surface a plurality of slots and the other has projections or ribs on its surface which mesh with the slots in the hollow roll forcing folds of the marginal material through the slots to the inside of the hollow roll. The cutter is mounted within the hollow roll and has a cutting edge moving in a path which passes through the inwardly projecting ends of the folds. The feed rolls are preferably cylindrical. Alternatively conical rolls may directions and these have driving connections with a motor and are supported for angular movement so that the inclination of the rolls and hence the bite on the last ing margin may be varied to adjust the drafting stress without interfering with the drive. The shafts are also mounted for relative movement to permit separation of the rolls and to this end the bearing for one of the shafts is yieldably supported for movement relative to the other and a spring is operable on the movable shaft to yieldably hold the roll carried thereby engaged with the roll on the fixed shaft or with Work passing therebetween. A fixed wiper may be positioned beneath the rolls adside from which emerges the stressed and notched material for bending the latter toward the bottom of the shoe so as to be operated upon by additional wiper mechanism in the form of a rotary member carrying a helical wiping rib for forcing the lasting margin inwardly over the bottom or by one or more reciprocating blades operating in a plane substantially parallel to the surfaces of the bottom of the shoe for rubbing the lasting margin inwardly. In conjunction with the drafting rolls and wiping mechanism there may be means for applying adhesive to the notched lasting margin as it emerges from the rolls prior to wiping or means for supplying an activating agent to the lasting margin in the event that adhesive is preapplied to the lasting margin or staple or tack inserting mechanism located at the opposite side of the wiping mechanism from the feed rolls for driving fastening elements into the lasting margin after it is wiped.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with referenceto the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine with the head omitted;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the machine showing attachments for stapling;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the head;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section to larger scale through the feed and cutting rolls in a plane perpendicular to their axes of rotation;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the cutter;

Fig. 8 shows an alternative combination of rolls in which one roll is conical and the other cylindrical;

Fig. 9 shows an alternative combination-of rolls in which both rolls are conical and taper in the same direction;

Fig. 10 shows an alternative combination of rolls in which both rolls are conical and taper in opposite directions;

Fig. 10a is a combination of rolls in which the cutting roll has die-like cutting teeth and the other roll has a smooth surface against which the cutters operate;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged elevation in perspective of the feeding and cutting rolls with tack driving mechanism shown diagrammatically operating in conjunction therewith;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged elevation in perspective of the feeding and cutting rolls with a staple driving mechanism shown diagrammatically operating in conjunction therewith;

Fig. 13 is an elevation partly in perspective of the feeding and cutting rolls with a rotary wiper combined therewith;

Fig. 14 is a view looking upwardly from beneath the feeding and cutting rolls as seen in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a bottom view of a shoe showing the notched marginal edge adhesively attached to the bottom;

Fig. 16 is a diametrical section through an alternative form of cutter;

Fig. 17 is a detail of the spring means for holding the rolls in yielding contact,

Fig. 18 is a view corresponding to Fig. 14 to smaller scale showing the position of the fixed wiper;

Fig. 18a is a view corresponding to Fig. 18 showing a single reciprocating wiper; and

Fig. 18b is a view corresponding to Fig. 18 showing a double reciprocating wiper.

Referring to the drawings (Figs. 1 and 2) the machine has a pedestal-like base 10 which supports at its upper end a head 12. A table 14 is fastened to the pedestal below the head by bolts so as to project horizontally from the front. The head 12 is adjustably fastened to the pedestal as will appear hereinafter in a position to support a pair of rolls 16 and 18 vertically above the table 14. The rolls 16 and 18 (Figs. 4 and 5) are made fast to spaced parallel shafts 20 and 22 and operate on the lasting margin of a shoe presented thereto, to apply feeding and lasting stresses continuously to the margin and at the same time to make cut-outs in the margin to remove the excess material therefrom so that when it is subsequently laid down in contact with the bottom of the shoe there will be no folds of excess material nor will there be any gaps. The rolls are rotated in opposite directions to effect continuous feeding movement of the lasting margin and have at their lower extremities surfaces 21 and 23 which cooperate to grip the margin and impart both feeding and drafting stresses thereto. To secure a good grip on the lasting margin these lower portions may be roughened or knurled in appropriate fashion and/or may be provided with ribs of circular or spiral formation for enhancing the drafting force, one such means in the form of a groove 24 (Fig. 13) being shown in the surface of the roll 16. Additional stress may be afforded by tilting the axes of the rolls as will appear hereinafter.

To effect cutting and removal of the excess material in the lasting margin the roll 18 is made hollow (Figs. 6 and 13) so that it has a cylindrical wall 26 through which are a plurality of uniformly spaced openings 28 axially longer than wide and having larger, that is broader upper ends than lower ends, being substantially almond shaped. The roll 16 has on it ribs or teeth 30 which project radially therefrom and mesh with the openings 28 so that as the rolls rotate the ribs 30 press portions a (Fig. 6) of the lasting margin m through the openings 28. In order to provide notches of suitable size the hollow roll 18 has an inside diameter of one inch, a wall thickness of 6; of an inch and 7 openings therethrough. The roll 16 has an outside diameter of .714 inch and has 5 ribs on its surface. The rolls are spaced on centers 0.857 inch apart. The speed ratio of the rolls is 14 to 10. The foregoing dimensions and ratios are not however intended to be limiting. Within the roll 18 there is a cutter 32 shown in detail in Fig. 7 which has a helically shaped cutting blade 34, although as pointed out hereinafter the shape of the cutting blade may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. The cutter is mounted to turn about an axis coinciding with the axis of the roll 18 and operates to shear the inwardly projecting portion a of the lasting margin where it is pressed through the opening 28 by the rib in mesh therewith. The cutter is of slightly smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the roll so that it moves freely therewithin and yet is supported by the inside surface of the roll which acts as a bearing for it. The ribs have suflicient radial length so that the locus of the tips of the ribs forms a circle which is tangent to the path of the cutting edge of the cutter thus shearing action takes place between the cutting edge and the ends of the ribs. By shaping the openings 28 as shown, substantially V-shaped notches are cut through the lasting margin thereby leaving tapering tabs 2 (Fig. 12) with V-shaped spaces therebetween so that when the lasting margin is laid down on the bottom of the shoe by subsequent operations which may include wiping, cementing, tacking, stapling and so forth, the edges of the triangular tabs will substantially coincide thereby providing a uniformly flat surface which has neither bulges due to excess material or gaps due to a dearth of material (Fig. 15). Preferably the openings 28 are somewhat larger than the ribs so that there is room enough between the meshing edges of the openings and the ribs to avoid binding and unnecessary harsh action on the margin. Moreover the edges of the openings are outwardly beveled and the ribs are slightly tapered and rounded at their ends so that meshing takes place smoothly. In addition to cutting the excess material from the lasting margin the ribs and openings which form the cutting means operate during the initial part of their meshing and prior to actual cutting to stress the margin upwardly thus augmenting the action of the lower ends of the rolls. 7

As previously pointed out the notching is desired primarily at the toe and heel where the excess material is most pronounced, however there is no objection to making the notches along the sides also. Usually however the margins along the sides are so short that they do not extend upwardly beyond the knurled gripping portions of the rolls and hence are not operated upon by the cutting means. If it is important not to notch the sides the operator may by proper manipulation of the shoe keep the shorter margin along the sides out of the cutter. If desired rotation of the cutter could be discontinued when operating upon the sides by use of a clutch or its equivalent. Although the feed rolls as shown in Fig. 1 are both cylindrical, a conical and cylindrical roll may be employed as shown in Fig. 8; As there shown the hollow roll 18a is cylindrical and has openings 28a with which mesh ribs 30a carried by the conical roll 16a. Both rolls may be made conical as illustrated in Fig. 9. In this case the rolls taper in the same direction. The hollow roll The essential feature common to any combination of rolls employed is to combine with feeding and updrafting, cutting openings or notches in the lasting margin during the application of the updrafting stress without of that stress by causing portions of the lasting margin to be forced through openings in one of the rolls and providing a cutter operable in conjunction with that roll to clip, shear or otherwise cut the inwardly projecting folded portion of margin to remove it from or notch therethrough.

Although the foregoing combinations of rolls are provided with a hollow roll through which the lasting margin is pressed to form folds prior to cutting, it is possible to use a pair of rolls, one of which is solid as shown at 18:! (Fig. 100) and the other of which is the cutter roll 16d and is provided with cutting teeth 30d adapted spaced parallel shafts 20d and 22d.

While the preferred form of the cutter as shown in Fig. 7 is of helical shape it is within the scope of the invention to employ any conventional type cutter for example, as shown in Fig. 16, a cylindrical cutter 32a may be employed having a plurality of cutting teeth 34a, the

edges of which are parallel to the axis of rotation thereof.

Under certain circumstances it may be possible to dispense with an internal cutting element by refining the edges of the openings 23 and the edges of the ribs 30 so that they mesh accurately and providing them with cutting edges so that the ribs 30 not only form folds in the lasting margin but in pressing them through the openings shear the substance of the folds from the lasting margin. Such construction, of course, requires greater accuracy and care in preparing the rolls and hence while considered to be generally within the scope of the invention is not preferred.

The feed rolls 16 and 18 as previously explained grip the lasting margin and apply an updrafting stress thereto, and in accordance with another feature of the invention it is desirable to support the rolls so that they may be angularly adjusted in a plane perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe and parallel to the direction of movement thereof for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the drafting stresses in accordance with the material being operated upon. Accordingly the head 12 (Figs. 1 and 4) which consists in part of a frame 25, is provided with a pair of spaced, laterally projecting webs 2727 only one of which is shown in each of which is an arcuate slot 29. A plate 31 is bolted to the top of the pedestal and has rising from it a pair of spaced vertical webs 33-33 only one of which is shown, each of which has a pair of holes through it, in which bolts 39 are screw threaded for adjustably fastening the webs 27 '27 thereto. Adjustment of the frame angularly with reference to the top of the pedestal may be effected by loosening the bolts so that the arcuate slots may be moved beneath the heads to the proper positions. The radius of curvature of the arcuate slots are selected so that their centers lie on a common center line C which passes through the plane of the axes of the rolls, is perpendicular thereto and is located at the lower extremities thereof so that the frame tilts about the lower extremities of the rolls, the axis about which tilting takes place being represented by the dot and dash line CC (Figs. 4 and 5).

The frame 25 has spaced bearings 42 and 44 for .re-

never wholly disengaged ceiving the shaft 22 for rotation about a longitudinal axis with its upper end extending upwardly into a hollow gear housing 43. The shaft has fastened to it within the housing a gear 45 which meshes with a gear 46 fast to vertical shaft journaled in the housing on which there is mounted a worm wheel 48. The worm wheel 48 meshes with a worm 50 fast to a horizontal drive shaft 52 which is journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis in spaced bearings 54 and 56 formed in the wall of the housing. A portion of the shaft 52 extends rearwardly from the gear housing for connection to a suitable source of power and for this purpose has on it a pulley 51 (Fig. 3). In order to hold the rolls 16 and 18 in yieldable cooperation with each other the shaft 20 of the roll 16 is supported by a movable bracket 58 pivoted at 60 on the frame 25 for angular movement to and from the shaft 22. The bracket 58 has pairs of vertically spaced ears 62-62 and 6464 which slidably engage the bearing bosses 42 and 44 on the frame and thus guide the bracket in its movement. Spaced bearings 66 and 68 rotatably support the shaft 20 in the bracket with its upper end projecting into the gear housing. A gear 70 is fast to the upper end of the shaft and meshes with a gear 72 fast to the shaft 22. Since the separation of the rolls during operation is very small the gears 70 and 72 are even in the extreme position of separation of the rolls.

While it not necessary to separate the rolls 16 and 18 to introduce the lasting margin therebetween since a skilled operator can with deft manipulation introduce and remove the work without such separation, it is desirable to have them yieldably engaged so that one will yield with respect to the other sufiiciently to provide for accepting variations and irregularities in the thickness of the work without causing binding.

Accordingly a stiff coiled spring is employed for holding the roll 16 in yieldable contact with the roll 18 and to this end the bracket 58 has a lateral projection 53 (Figs. 4 and 17) and the frame 25 has a correspondingly projecting arm 55 rearwardly spaced therefrom. A spindle 57 is mounted in aligned openings 61 and 63 in these arms, the former .being threaded to receive the threads 59 on the spindle so that the axial position of the spindle may be adjusted. A hand wheel is'fastened to the spindle to facilitate adjustment. The opposite end of the spindle has on it a button 67 and a stiff coiled spring 69 is placed on the spindle between the button 67 and the arm 55 so that normally it operates to hold the bracket 58in contact with the frame and the rolls 16 and 18 in operative position.

As previously indicated the cutting blade isdriven independently of the rolls and to this end the shaft 22 is hollow and contains a shaft 74 to the lower end of which is attached the cutter 32 previously described. The upper end of this shaft extends into the gear housing and has fast to it a sprocket 76. A chain 73 is entrained about the sprocket 76 and a second sprocket 80 fast to a shaft 82 journaled in the housing on which there is also fast a miter gear 84 which meshes with a miter gear 86 mounted on the horizontal drive shaft 52. By changing the size of the sprocket 76 the speed of the cutter may be varied. As previously stated the rolls 16 and 18 are driven in opposite directions by reason of the meshing gears and 72 and by tracing through the gearing it will be evident that the cutter is driven in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the roll 18 and preferably at a higher rotational speed.

The waste or chips produced by the rolls 16 and 18 when notching the lasting margin must be disposed of as they are formed so that they will not adhere to the work or to the operating parts of the machine. Since the roll 18 is hollow and its lower extremity is open the chips will naturally gravitate from its end downwardly. To prevent accumulation of the chips on the table subjacent thereto, .thelatter is made ,in the form .of an open grate having a plurality of rectangular openings 106 (Fig. 3) through its surface over which is placed a coarse mesh screen 107 which permit the chips and other trash to fall through the table. A trash chute 108 is bolted to the underside of the table. The trash chute tapers from its upper end toward its lower end and has at its lower end a portion 110 which projects through an opening 112 in the wall of the column so that it terminates inside the column above a trash container 114 in the form of a drawer which rests on the bottom of the column and has a face plate 116 and handle which affords means for pulling the drawer out when it is necessary to empty it. A motor M is mounted on brackets within the column which has on it a pulley for transmitting power to the shaft 52 by means of a belt, not shown, or to a countershaft which in turn transmits power to the shaft 52. A louvre plate 118 is bolted over an opening made in one side of the pedestal to permit circulation of air for keeping the motor cool.

Preferably there is used in conjunction with the aforesaid rolls means for securing the notched lasting margin to the bottom of the shoe for example, as it leaves them and so closely adjacent thereto that the stress imparted to the margin by the drafting effect of the rolls is not lost. This is attained by folding the margin inwardly over the bottom as it leaves the rolls, with stationary and/ or movable wipers and then tacking, stapling or adhesively securing the folded margin in place.

In Fig. 11 there is shown in perspective the rolls 16 and 18 operating on a lasting margin of a shoe with tack driving mechanism 85 located at the side of the rolls from which the work emerges. Between the rolls and the tack driving mechanism which is of conventional design and hence need not be described in detail and for which description reference may be made to Patent No. 2,251,284, there is a fixed turning or wiping finger 87. The tack driving mechanism may be mounted in any suitable fashion on a horizontal plate 89 (Fig. 1) bolted to the top of the column and may be connected by suitable means to the motor shaft or a countershaft driven therefrom.

In Fig. 12 there is shown partly in perspective the rolls 16 and 18 operating on the lasting margin In of a shoe with staple driving mechanism 91 shown diagrammatically for driving staples substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe through the tab-like portions of the margin after it has been notched. The staple mechanism used corresponds substantially to that disclosed in Patent No. 2,424,240 and when used is bolted to the plate 89 at the top of the column as (Fig. 3) for the purpose of establishing its location with reference to the rolls. The staple mechanism has a driving sprocket 90 which is driven by a sprocket 92 fast to a jack shaft 94 journaled on a bracket 96 bolted to the plate 89. A pulley 98 on the shaft 94 provides means for connecting it to the motor pulley or a countershaft driven thereby. A stationary wiper is used to fold the margin inwardly after it leaves the rolls.

For cement lasting a rotary wiper 100 (Figs. 13 and 14) is mounted adjacent the rolls 16 and 18 at the side from which emerges the lasting margin and in close proximity thereto with its axis of rotation substantially horizontal and in the plane of the bottom of the shoe so as to apply an inwiping stress to the margin as it is released. The wiper is connected by a suitable coupling, not shown, to a horizontal shaft 102 shown in dotted line (Fig. 3) which in turn is mounted in spaced bearings, not shown, on the plate 89 and has on it a pulley 104 which may be connected by suitable means to the motor M or a countershaft driven thereby. A fixed wiper 101 is also employed, and due to the fact that a portion of it underlies the hollow roll 18 and hence would interfere with the chips falling freely from the roll, it is designed to circumscribe the opening at the lower end of the roll 18 as shown in Fig. 18. To this end the part of the wiper extending shown diagrammatically at 88 8 rearwardly from its tip is curved ina horizontal plane to skirt the opening at the lower end of the roll. While not heretofore mentioned, the same is true with respect to the fixed wipers used in conjunction with the tack and stapling mechanism.

If the lasting margin is precemented the rotary wiper may suffice without more to effect a union between the lasting margin and the bottom of the shoe provided a pressure sensitive adhesive is employed. It a thermoplastic adhesive is used it may be necessary to heat the wiper for example, by use of a flame or stream of hot air projected against the margin or against the wiper. Accordingly a nozzle 120 may be used for projecting such a hot blast against the wiper 100 as shown in Fig. 14 which corresponds to that shown in Patent No. 2,571,140. In the event that it is desirable to apply liquid adhesive cold or heated a cement nozzle 122 is placed close to the rolls 16 and 18 just ahead of the wiper in a position to project liquid adhesive in the angle between the lasting margin and the bottom of the shoe as is also shown in Patent No. 2,467,385.

While a rotary wiper of the type having a helical work-engaging rib is disclosed it is within the scope of the invention to use a single reciprocating wiper blade 100a of comparatively thin vertical height (Fig. 18a) or a pair of reciprocating wiper blades 1001) (Fig. 18b) arranged to operate in a horizontal plane parallel to the bottom of the shoe.

The bottom of the shoe operated upon by the foregoing mechanism and in which the notched margin has been attached to the bottom is shown in Fig. 15 and as will be seen the tapered tabs t lies close to each other so that there is scarcely any space between their proximate edges thus providing for a smooth, flat surface against which the outsole may be placed for fastening.

In use a shoe to be operated upon is grasped by the operator with its bottom side up and is presented to the feeding and cutting rolls in the same fashion that it would be presented to a conventional lasting machine of this type with the upstanding lasting margin between the rolls either by separating the rolls to permit insertion of the margin or by deftly thrusting it between the uns'eparated rolls such as is easily accomplished by a skilled operator. Preferably the machine is allowed to run continuously and the operator merely guides the shoe around until the entire or such portion of the margin is operated upon as is desired and then removes it. Generally the lasting allowance along the sides of the shoe is much shorter than that at the toe and heel hence it does not reach up sufficiently far to be notched, however, if it is long enough to be engaged by the cutting elements it will do no harm to notch it. If for some special reason it was desirable not to notch the sides the operator by proper manipulation of the shoe can draw it down far enough to keep the lasting margin out of the meshing cutting elements.

While the invention has been described principally with reference to operating on a lasting margin of an upper to provide notches or openings therein thus to remove the excess material in the margin before it is folded into contact with the bottom of the shoe so that it will lie limp and flat against the shoe and hence would require fewer staples and/or less adhesive as the case maybe, it is contemplated that this apparatus may also be used for covering rigid panels with flexible sheet material. Heretofore it has been necessary to precut the corners of the covering hence with this apparatus the excess material may be removed at the corners simultaneously with the pulling over operation so that it lies flat. In a slightly modified form the apparatus may also be used in other arts where it is desirable to make uniformly spaced cut-outs or openings in continuous lengths of strip material, for example, strips of leather, textile web, paper web and the like without applying a drafting stress -theret0.-.- .Thus the feed rolls .would be. mounted in spaced parallel axes for feeding without drafting. The arrangement of the axes of rotation of the rolls in vertical or horizontal positions would be unimportant so long as it was convenient for the operation being performed.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for operating on the lasting margin of an upper assembled on a last together with a bottom member, comprising a pair of oppositely rotating upper gripping rolls, operable simultaneously to apply updrafting stresses to the lasting margin, and to advance the margin beyond the rolls, and means carried by the rolls for removing bites from the lasting margin at regularly recurrent spaced intervals along the lasting margin.

2. A machine for operating on the lasting margin of an upper assembled on a last together with a bottom member, comprising a pair of oppositely rotating upper gripping rolls, operable to apply updrafting stresses to the lasting margin and simultaneously to advance the margin beyond the rolls, and means carried by the rolls for cutting pods from the lasting margin at regularly recurrent spaced intervals along the lasting margin.

3. A machine for operating on the lasting margin of an upper assembled on a last together with a bottom member, comprising a pair of oppositely rotating upper gripping rolls, operable to apply updrafting stresses to the lasting margin and simultaneously to advance the margin beyond the rolls, and means carried by the rolls for removing substantially V-shaped pods from the lasting margin.

4. A lasting machine of the kind having a pair of oppositely rotating drafting rolls for gripping the lasting margin and stressing it substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe, characterized in that the drafting rolls have associated therewith cutting means for simultaneously biting small pods from the lasting margin.

5. In a machine of the kind employing a pair of oppositely rotating drafting rolls for progressively applying a drafting stress to the lasting margin of an upper assembled on a last together with a bottom member, cooperable cutting elements carried by the rolls operable on the margin simultaneously with the application of the updrafting stress thereto, to remove pods from the stressed margin at spaced intervals therealong.

6. In a machine of the kind employing a pair of oppositely rotating drafting rolls for progressively applying a drafting stress to the lasting margin of an upper assembled on a last together with a bottom member, means carried by one of the rolls for forming folds substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the last and means carried by the other roll for slicing the substance of the folds from the lasting margin.

7. A machine of the kind employing a pair of oppositely rotating drafting rolls for applying a drafting stress to the lasting margin of the upper, characterized in that is hollow and has a plurality of elongate slots substantially parallel to its axis of rotation, that the other roll has on its surface a plurality of ribs for forcing the substance of the lasting margin through the a cutter is located within the hollow roll which is operable to cut through the portions of the lasting mar in forced into the slots.

8. A machine for operating upon shoes comprising a pair of rolls, shafts supporting said rolls for rotating in opposite directions with their surfaces in rolling contact, one of said rolls being hollow and having a plurality of elongate slots in its wall substantially parallel to its axis of rotation, a plurality of ribs fast to the other roll, said ribs being projected into the slots by rotation of that portion of the roll carrying the ribs into contact with the slotted roll, and a cutter housed within the hollow roll having a cutting edge which moves in a path which is 10 substantially tangent to the locus of the path of movement of the edges of the ribs.

9. A machine for operating upon shoes comprising a pair of rolls, shafts supporting said rolls for rotation in opposite directions with their surfaces substantially in rolling contact, one of said rolls being hollow and having a plurality of holes through it spaced circumferentially thereof, a plurality of punches carried by the other roll, the locus of the path of the ends of the punches being wall of the hollow roll and a cutter located within the hollow roll with its cutting edge concentric with the inside of the hollow roll and substantially tangent to the locus of the path of the punches.

10. A machine for operating on shoes comprising a pair of oppositely rotating rolls having meshing parts for successively forming folds at spaced intervals along work moving therebetween and a cutter carried by one of the rolls for cutting the substance of the folds from the work.

11. A machine for operating on shoes comprising means for feeding work linearly and simultaneously forming folds at regularly recurrent intervals therealong and means for shearing the substance of the folds from the work as they are formed.

12. A pinking machine comprising feed rolls having meshing fold forming elements which operate onthe work passing between them to form folds therein submove from the work a pod of therethrough.

13. A lasting machine provided with pinking means comprising a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls of the type which simultaneously apply drafting stresses to suecessive portions of work as it i fed therebetween, a cut by the other roll for forming folds in successive portions of the work and supporting said folds in the path of movement of the cutter.

14. A pinking machine comprising a pair of oppositely rotating rolls for moving work in a predetermined and presenting them to the movement of the work.

16. A pinking machine comprising a pair of members: having parts movable into and out of meshing engagement in a fashion to grip and advance work in a predetermined direction, said parts pressing folds in the work substantially at right angles to its direction of movement and a cutter associated with said members movable in a path counter to the direction of movement of the work and in a path intermediate the loops and nodes of the folds.

with the holes in the hollow roll, the edges of the ribsmoving in a path which is tangent to the inside surface of the hollow roll and a helical blade rotatably mounted within. the hollow roll with its edge moving in a path 11 substantially tangent to the path of movement of the edges of the ribs.

18. A pinking machine comprising a pair of oppositely turning rolls, one of which is a hollow cylinder having a plurality of spaced apertures through its wall circumferentially thereof, said apertures being axially longer than wide and tapering from top to bottom, the other of which has ribs which mesh with the apertures in the hollow roll, the edges of the ribs moving in a path which is tangent to the inside surface of the hollow roll and a cutting blade rotatably mounted within the hollow roll with its cutting edge moving in a path substantially tangent to the path of movement of the edges of the ribs.

19. A pinking machine comprising a pair of oppositely turning rolls, one of which is a hollow cylinder having a plurality of spaced apertures through its wall circumferentially thereof which parallel the axis and are substantially almond-shaped having their wider ends near the top of the roll, the other of which has ribs which mesh with the apertures in the hollow roll, the edges of the ribs moving in a path which is tangent to the inside surface of the hollow roll and a cutter rotatably mounted within the hollow roll having an edge which moves in a path substantially tangent to the path of movement of the edges of the ribs.

20. A pinking machine comprising a pair of oppositely turning rolls, one of which is a hollow cylinder having a plurality of spaced apertures through its walls circumferentially thereof which parallel the axis of the rolls and are axially longer than wide, the other of which has ribs of substantially corresponding shape which mesh with the apertures but are of smaller longitudinal and transverse dimension so that a clearance exists between the ribs and apertures when they are in mesh, the edges of the ribs moving in a path which is tangent to the inside surface of the rolls and a cutter rotatably mounted within the hollow roll with its cutting edge moving in a path substantially tangent to the path of movement of the edges of the ribs.

21. A pinking machine comprising a pair of oppositely turning rolls, one of which is hollow and has a plurality of spaced apertures through its walls circumferentially thereof, said apertures having spaced parallel edges, the surfaces of which converge inwardly, the other of which has ribs which mesh with the apertures, said ribs having tapering sides corresponding substantially in inclination to the converging surfaces of the apertures and edges which move in a path which is tangent to the inside surface of the hollow roll and a cutter rotatably mounted within the hollow roll having an edge moving in a path'substantially tagent to the path of movement of the edges of the ribs.

22. A pinking machine comprising a pair of oppositely turning rolls, one of which is a hollow cylinder having a plurality of spaced holes through its walls circumferentially thereof, the other of which has ribs which mesh with the holes, the edges of the ribs moving in a path which is tangent to the inside surface of the hollow roll and a cylindrical cutter located within the hollow cylinder having spaced cutting teeth paralleling the axis of rotation which move in a path tangent to the edges of the ribs.

23. A lasting machine comprising a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls having portions in rolling contact and carrying means to impart a drafting stress to the lasting margin substantially perpendicular to the bottom, the lower extremity of one of said rolls constituting a support which contacts the shoe bottom during lasting and opposes the updrafting stress, meshing means carried by the rolls spaced axially from their extremities operable to produce folds in the lasting margin in an area spaced from the base of the lasting margin and a cutter operable to cut through the folded material as it is folded.

24. In a lasting machine of the type in which a pair of oppositely rotated feed and drafting rolls progressively apply a stress tothe lasting margin substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the shoe, means carried by the rolls for notching the edges of the lasting margin simultaneously with the application of the npdrafting stress thereto Without releasing the drafting stress and a wiper operable in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom of the shoe to press the notched lasting margin as it is released by the rolls against the bottom.

25. In a lasting machine of the type in which a pair of oppositely rotating feed and drafting rolls grip the lasting margin and progressively apply a stress thereto substantially perpendicular to the bottom, cutting means for notching the lasting margin during the application of the stress thereto without releasing the stress, means for applying a stress to the notched edge as it is released from the rolls to press it against the bottom of the shoe, and means for applying fastening means to anchor the folded notched edge in place.

26. In alasting machine of the type in which a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls grip the lasting margin and progressively apply a stress thereto substantially perpendicular to the bottom, means carried by the rolls fornotching the lasting margin as it is stressed, means for supplying a quick setting liquid adhesive to the angle between the lasting margin and the bottom of the shoe, and wiper means operable to press the stressed margin as it is released from the rolls into engagement with the bottom of the shoe.

27. In a lasting machine of the type in which a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls grip the lasting margin and progressively apply a stress thereto substantially perpendicular to the bottom, means carried by the rolls for notching the lasting margin as it is stressed, means for supplying an activating agent to the lasting margin as it leaves the feed rolls and wiper means operable to press the stressed margin against the bottom of'the shoe.

28. In alasting machine of the type in which a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls grip the lasting margin and progressively apply a stress thereto substantially perpendicular to the bottom, means carried by the rolls for notching the lasting margin as it is stressed, means for heating the lasting margin and means for pressing the heated margin into engagement with the bottom.

29. A lasting machine of the type in which a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls grip the lasting margin and progressively apply a stress thereto substantially perpendicular to the bottom, means carried by the rolls for notching the lasting margin as it is stressed, wiping means for pressing the lasting margin as it is released from the drafting rolls into engagement with the bottom and staple driving means for inserting staples through the margin into the shoe bottom.

30. In a lasting machine of the type in which a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls grip the lasting margin and progressively apply a stress thereto substantially perpendicular to the bottom, means carried by the rolls for notching the lasting margin as it is stressed, a stationary wiper blade located at the side of the rolls from which the lasting margin emerges for folding the margin as it is released from the rolls into contact the the bottom of the last, and staple mechanism located close to the wiper blade for affixing staples through the folded lasting margin into the shoe bottom.

31. In a lasting machine of the type in which oppositely rotating feed rolls apply a drafting stress to the lasting margin of a shoe substantially perpendicular to thebottom, a pair of shafts to which the rolls are fast, a horizontal drive shaft, a worm on said drive shaft, a countershaft, a worm wheel on the countershaft in mesh with the worm, a pairof meshing gears, one fast to the countershaft and the other to one of the roll shafts, and a second pair of meshing gears, one fast to each of said roll shafts.

32. A lasting machine comprising a pair of oppositely rotating feed rolls having at their lower portions surface treatment adapted to impart a drafting stress to the lasting margin and meshing. means carried by the rolls spaced 13 14 axially from their extremities operable to produce folds 1,160,733 Lougee Nov. 16, 1915 in the lasting margin in an area spaced from the base of 1,204,922 Wilms Nov. 14, 1916 the lasting margin and a cut er operable to cut through 1,380,098 Fix May 31, 1921 the folded material as it is folded. 1,576,835 Littlefield Mar. 16, 1926 5 2,291,227 Iknayan July 28, 1942 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,314,047 Kamborian Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENTS ,326,193 a r g- 10, 943 229,986 Fairfield July 13, 1880 66324 Prue "1 1949 2,571,140 Kamborian Oct. 16, 1951 387,269 Tewksbury Aug. 7, 1888 10 2,654,105 Roske Oct. 6, 1953 1,00 79 g rg Oct 1911 2655 671 Fossa Oct 20 1953 1,110,238 Spiegel Sept. 8, 1914 1,160,732 Lougee Nov. 16, 1915 

